“Austrian glassmaker Riedel has declared victory in its lawsuit against its rival Eisch Glasskultur over false claims for breathable glass.

Riedel, Nachtmann and Spiegelau filed suit in Munich, Germany alleging that Eisch’s advertisement boasting ‘breathable glass’ constituted false advertising.

On 19 January the two parties agreed to settle after Eisch’s claim that its ‘breathable’ glasses were made using a secret process that ‘opens bouquet and aromas within 2 to 4 minutes’ was not supported in court.

According to Dr Jo Dresel, the court found that, ‘as regards the physical characteristics of the glass composition and of the glass surface, the wine glasses with the designation “Breathable Glass” do not differ in any respect whatsoever from structurally identical wine glasses produced by the same manufacturer.’

It was also found that the wine in both types of glasses did not differ, ‘neither in a food chemistry analysis nor in a gustation (tasting) test carried out by experienced wine tasters.’

A spokesperson for Eisch said, ‘To remove this nuisance from our business path, we have agreed to change the terminology we use to describe the benefits provided by our glasses, which we have renamed Sensis-plus. In the legal and technical milieu of the German Courts, we cannot prove that this glass does, in technical fact, breathe.’”

P.S I rejected these glasses when they were first shown to me last year. Others stores may have been fooled or don’t mind taking your money for whiz-bang gadgetry: not my bag.

BTW I’m no big fan of Riedel either.

While we’re at it!

I’m seeing these contraptions everywhere! Vinturi and other such wine aerating gadgets are merely just that – gadgets. I’m not saying it doesn’t work, I’m saying its unnecessary. Swirling your wineglass does the same thing and costs nothing. If you need to use a device, try blowing bubbles in your wine with a straw; it accomplishes the same thing (really) and you can get one free at McDonald’s.

The fact is, there are no magic bullets that will replace knowledge and palate awareness. Learning how to define your individual tastes and  educating yourself bit about wine will not only save money but will guarantee the predictable outcome that you seek; pleasure!

But what do I know? I’m only a wine professional with decades of experience, education and certification behind me.